UPCLOSE AND PERSONAL WITH YOKOCOCO

“NOTHING ABOUT OUR STORY BEGAN IN A COMFORTABLE PLACE. WE WOULD LIKE WOMEN TO SEE THAT TRAVEL AND PERSONAL GOALS ARE POSSIBLE, EVEN WHEN YOU START FROM A SHIT PLACE OR YOU SIMPLY DON’T HAVE THE TIME.”

I FIRST CAME ACROSS ASHLEY AND BRITTNIE, THE FOUNDERS AND BADASS WOMYN BEHIND YOKOCOCO, ABOUT SIX WEEKS AGO. I WAS INITIALLY AWED BY THEIR FLAWLESS PHOTOS, COMPLEMENTING DUALITIES, AND STRAIGHT UP #REALTALK, BUT I SOON FOUND OUT THAT THEY WERE MUCH MORE THAN THAT.

THE STORY BEHIND ASH AND BRIT IS UNIQUE TO SAY THE LEAST. THESE ARE TWO LADIES THAT USED TO HATE EACH OTHER, BUT ONCE THEY PUT ASIDE THEIR DIFFERENCES, OR BETTER YET – SIMILARITIES – THEY NOT ONLY BECAME FRIENDS BUT EVENTUALLY BUSINESS PARTNERS. SINCE THEIR BLOG AND VLOG’S DEBUT TWO MONTHS AGO, THEY HAVE SUCCESSFULLY GARNERED OVER 7 000 FOLLOWERS ON INSTAGRAM AND HAVE OVER 6K VIEWS ON YOUTUBE – WITH ONLY 5 VIDEOS. BUT THAT ISN’T WHY THEY’RE ADMIRABLE. ASH AND BRIT BOTH LEAD EXTREMELY BUSY LIFESTYLES AND CAREERS, YET STILL MANAGE TO MAKE TIME FOR THEMSELVES – AND THEY DO IT IN STYLE. WHETHER IT’S A SHORT GETAWAY TO NYC OR A LAVISH TRIP TO THAILAND, THEY ARE LIVING PROOF THAT WOMEN CAN BE DOPE GIRL BOSSES, CONQUER THE WORLD AND HAVE A GOOD TIME – ALL IN ONE WEEK.

THIS WEEK, WE CHAT WITH ASHLEY AND BRITTNIE FROM YOKOCOCO ABOUT THE MEANING BEHIND YC, THEIR HIGHLIGHTS FROM THEIR TRAVELS THUS FAR, AND THE IMPORTANCE OF TRAVELING AS WOMEN OF COLOUR.

WHERE ARE YOU LADIES FROM? WHAT ARE YOUR BACKGROUNDS IN TERMS OF BOTH CAREERS AND ETHNICITY? 

ASHLEY:

I AM A MIDWESTERN GIRL THAT MOVED AROUND A LOT AS A CHILD. I FINALLY FOUND HOME IN LOS ANGELES, WHERE I CURRENTLY RESIDE. I AM A PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER AND WORK IN BRAND DEVELOPMENT. MY ETHNIC BACKGROUND IS PRIMARILY ASIAN AND EUROPEAN.

BRITTNIE:

I’M A TEXAN, BORN IN SAN ANTONIO AND I’VE BEEN IN HOUSTON FOR 15 YEARS NOW. I’VE BEEN A FLIGHT ATTENDANT FOR SEVERAL YEARS FLYING BOTH THE PRIVATE AND COMMERCIAL SIDE OF THE INDUSTRY. ETHNICALLY I’M BI-RACIAL AS WELL – BLACK AND EUROPEAN. I’M FIRST GENERATION AMERICAN ON MY MOM’S SIDE.

TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR STORY. HOW DID YOU MEET?

ASHLEY:

UNBEKNOWNST TO US, WE WERE DATING THE SAME MAN AT THE SAME TIME. HE MADE US BOTH LOOK LIKE WE WERE “CRAZY” TO THE OTHER, FUELLING THE DISLIKE FOR ONE ANOTHER. YEARS LATER WE SPOKE ABOUT THE SITUATION AND REALIZED WE HAD SO MUCH IN COMMON OUTSIDE OF OUR PAST AND ACTUALLY ENJOYED ONE ANOTHER’S COMPANY. BLESSINGS COME IN ALL SORTS OF DISGUISES IF YOU’RE OPEN TO THEM.

BRITTNIE:

GOD IS HILARIOUS. I USE TO SWEAR I’D NEVER EVER EVER EVER EVER BE FRIENDS WITH THIS GIRL AND NOW WE’RE RUNNING A BUSINESS TOGETHER. IT JUST GOES TO SHOW WHAT WOMEN CAN DO WHEN WE DECIDE TO WORK TOGETHER INSTEAD OF BEING AGAINST EACH OTHER.

WHEN DID YOU REALIZE THAT YOU NOT ONLY ‘DIDN’T HATE EACH OTHER’, BUT ALSO COULD WORK TOGETHER? 

ASHLEY:

BRITTNIE HAS ALWAYS TRAVELED TO INCREDIBLE PLACES. SOMETIMES SHE WOULD STOP THROUGH LOS ANGELES AND WE WOULD GRAB LUNCH OR DRINKS AND CHAT ABOUT OUR GOALS, DREAMS AND ASPIRATIONS. I USED TO TRY TO ENCOURAGE HER TO START A TRAVEL BLOG WHILE SHE USED TO ENCOURAGE ME TO SIMPLY TRAVEL MORE. WE THEN BEGAN TO FUSE THE IDEA OF US DOING A TRAVEL BLOG TOGETHER SO THAT WE COULD CHALLENGE OURSELVES TO LIVE OUR BEST LIVES.

BRITTNIE:

WHAT SHE SAID. ASH TRIED TO GET ME TO BLOG SOLO FOR SO LONG AND I ALWAYS TOLD HER NO. I WAS TRAVELING ALL OVER THE WORLD TO THESE AMAZING PLACES, BUT I RARELY TOOK PICTURES. I JUST WANTED TO LIVE AND EXPERIENCE THINGS AND NOT HAVE TO STOP FOR PHOTO-OPS SO, I DIDN’T THINK BLOGGING WOULD BE FOR ME. ONE DAY WE WERE MAKING VISION BOARDS AND WE NOTICED WE HAD A LOT OF THE SAME DESTINATIONS, AND COMBINING ASH’S PHOTOGRAPHY/DIGITAL BACKGROUND AND MY TRAVEL EXPERTISE JUST SEEMED TO MAKE SENSE.

OKAY, LET’S GET DOWN TO BUSINESS. WHAT IS YOKOCOCO? 

BRITTNIE:

HONESTLY, ASH AND I WERE TRYING TO COME UP WITH NAMES FOR OUR BLOG AND WE KNEW WE WANTED SOMETHING FUN TO FIT OUR PERSONALITIES AS WELL AS A NAME THAT COULD BE USED FOR ANYTHING IF WE EVER DECIDED TO EXPAND BEYOND TRAVEL. WE WERE BEING SILLY THROWING OUT ALL KINDS OF RANDOM THINGS THEN STARTED PLAYING WITH RACE ASSOCIATE WORDS BECAUSE BEING BI-RACIAL IS A TOPIC OF MANY CONVERSATIONS BETWEEN US AND THUS YOKOCOCO WAS BIRTHED.

YOKOCOCO IS AN EXPRESSION OF OUR FUN PERSONALITIES, THE RANDOM AND OFTEN NONSENSICAL MOMENTS THAT WE THRIVE FROM AND A PLAY ON OUR ETHNIC BACKGROUNDS.

ASHLEY: PLUS, ITS FUN TO SAY.

WHAT’S IT’S PURPOSE?

ASHLEY:

YOKOCOCO IS A SYMBOL FOR US AND OTHER WOMEN TO SEE THE LIGHT BEYOND THEIR COMFORT ZONE. NOTHING ABOUT OUR STORY BEGAN IN A COMFORTABLE PLACE. FROM THE BASIS OF FRIENDSHIP, OUR FINANCES, OUR FULL-TIME SCHEDULE AND MORE, WE MAKE IT HAPPEN WITH NO EXCUSES. WE WOULD LIKE WOMEN TO SEE THAT TRAVEL AND PERSONAL GOALS ARE POSSIBLE, EVEN WHEN YOU START FROM A SHIT PLACE OR YOU SIMPLY DON’T HAVE THE TIME.

BRITTNIE:

YC IS PLACE FOR US TO CONTINUE TO GROW AS WOMEN AND HOPEFULLY INSPIRE THOSE WATCHING TO GO AFTER THEIR DREAMS AND GOALS AS WELL. TRAVELING EXPANDS YOU IN SO MANY WAYS. BEING AWAY FROM YOUR COMFORT ZONES FORCES YOU TO GROW. YOU CAN’T BE EXPOSED TO DIFFERENT CULTURES, RELIGIONS, SIGHTS AND TASTES AND REMAIN THE SAME PERSON YOU WERE BEFORE. WE ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT SOME OF OUR FOLLOWERS WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO PHYSICALLY TRAVEL TO SOME OF THE PLACES WE DO AND WE WANT THEM TO GO VICARIOUSLY WITH US AND TO JOIN US IN ALL THE INCREDIBLE EXPERIENCES AND LESSONS THAT WE ARE HAVING.

WHAT’S YOUR MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT ON THE ROAD SO FAR WITH YC? 

BRITTNIE:

THAT’S SO HARD TO ANSWER BECAUSE I’VE HAD SO MANY “ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME” EXPERIENCES! THE FIRST THING THAT COMES TO MIND IN OUR YOKOCOCO TRAVELS IS WHEN WE WENT TO A PING PONG P*SSY SHOW IN BANGKOK. THERE’S A LONG BACKSTORY BEHIND IT, BUT BASICALLY WE HAD HEARD ABOUT THESE SHOWS AND WERE LIKE WHEN ELSE ARE WE GOING TO SEE SOMETHING SO CRAZY?! WE HAD TO GO THROUGH ALL THESE DARK STREET ALLEYS TO GET TO THE CLUB AND AS WE WERE WALKING OUR FRIEND, RACHEL, SAYS, “I HOPE WE MAKE IT BACK WITH ALL OUR KIDNEYS AND SH*T.” WE ALL KINDA PAUSED FOR A SECOND AND BUSTED OUT LAUGHING BECAUSE US NOT RETURNING WITH ALL OUR ORGANS AFTER WALKING AROUND THAILAND BACKROADS WAS A REAL POSSIBILITY. WHEN WE FINALLY GOT TO THE SHOW WE SAW THINGS THAT I WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO UNSEE IN MY LIFE. IT WAS SHOCKING, IMPRESSIVE AND DEPRESSING ALL AT THE SAME TIME. I DON’T THINK I’LL EVER NEED TO SEE ONE OF THOSE SHOWS EVER AGAIN, BUT IT’S DEFINITELY ONE OF THE CRAZY STORIES I’LL TELL MY GRANDKIDS ONE DAY.

HOW ABOUT CRAZIEST MOMENT? SCARIEST? 

ASHLEY:

I WOULD SAY THAT THE CRAZIEST WAS ME GETTING STUNG BY A SLEW OF JELLYFISH AT THE UNDERWATER SCULPTURE GALLERY IN GRENADA. IT WAS ALL PRETTY TERRIFYING. AT FIRST, IT SEEMED LIKE PEOPLE WERE EVACUATING THE WATER BECAUSE OF A SHARK SINCE THEY WERE SWIMMING SO FAST. THEN, I FELT LIKE HUNDREDS OF NEEDLES WERE SLICING ME OPEN. IT WAS A COMPLETE FIASCO. WE HAVE A VLOG ABOUT IT — IT’S PRETTY ENTERTAINING.

BRITTNIE:

THE SCARIEST MOMENT I’VE HAD IN MY TRAVELS WITH ASH WAS SNORKELING TO THE UNDERWATER SCULPTURE GALLERY IN NASSAU, BAHAMAS. THE WATER WAS REALLY ROUGH THE DAY WE MADE THE DIVE AND WE ALMOST DROWNED SEVERAL TIMES. I WAS A LIFEGUARD IN HIGH SCHOOL SO, I’M A VERY GOOD SWIMMER BUT ASH AND I ARE ALSO PRETTY SMALL AND WE GOT TOSSED AROUND BY THE WAVES LIKE WE WERE IN A WASHING MACHINE. WE COULDN’T EVEN STAY ABOVE WATER LONG ENOUGH TO CATCH OUR BREATHS BEFORE ANOTHER WAVE CAME AND TOOK US UNDER. I LEGITIMATELY THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO DROWN… A FEW TIMES. IT WAS TERRIFYING, BUT WE SURVIVED SO IT MAKES FOR A GREAT STORY NOW!

WE’VE HAD PRETTY WILD EXPERIENCES WITH UNDERWATER SCULPTURE GALLERIES, BUT WE WOULD DIVE BOTH OF THEM AGAIN AND THERE ARE SO MANY MORE ALL OVER THE WORLD THAT WE STILL WANT TO SEE!

TIME TO ENVY. WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE PLACE YOU’VE STAYED AT?

BRITTNIE:

SRI PANWA. NECOLE KANE FROM XONECOLE INVITED US ON A GIRLS’ TRIP TO THAILAND AND SRI PANWA HOSTED US IN PHUKET. WE STAYED IN A FOUR BEDROOM VILLA ON A HILLTOP THAT OVERLOOKED THE OCEAN. IT HAD TWO PRIVATE FULL SIZED INFINITY POOLS, A KITCHEN (WITH SNACKS!!) AND A RIDICULOUS AMOUNT OF OTHER AMENITIES. THERE WERE MORE ONSITE ACTIVITIES THAN WE COULD HAVE TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF INCLUDING A SPA AND THE BEST YOGA EXPERIENCE ANY OF US EVER HAD. THE RESTAURANTS WERE AMAZING AND WE STILL KEEP IN TOUCH WITH THE STAFF TO THIS DAY. ANNNNDDD LINDSAY LOHAN WAS STAYING IN THE VILLA NEXT DOOR, BUT WE TOTALLY FAILED AT GETTING HER TO COME BY FOR A HOUSE PARTY LOL.

ASHLEY: ON A LUXURY LEVEL, SRI PANWA AS WELL.

WE ALSO SLID IN LINDSEY’S DM’S AND SAID SHE COULD “TOTALLY SIT WITH US.” HER LOSS.

FLAUNT ‘EM GIRLS. WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR SUITS?! (THEY HOT!) 

ASHLEY

BOUTINE LA, VODA SWIM – (MAKES THE BOOBIES LOOK FANTASTIC), AND THE NAKED WARDROBE

BRITTNIE:

THANKS! I ORDER SWIMWEAR ONLINE WEEKLY…I HAVE A PROBLEM. MY FAVORITE SWIM BOUTIQUES RIGHT NOW ARE MONTCE SWIM, AEXAE, ANDREA IYAMAH AND HOT MIAMI STYLES. I JUST ORDERED ONE FROM BLU ROSE THAT I CAN’T WAIT TO WEAR!!

AND FOR THE BLOGGERS, VLOGGERS AND PHOTOGRAPHERS OUT THERE. WHAT CAMERA(S) DO YOU USE? 

ASHLEY:

AS A PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER I HAVE A CANON 5D MARK III. IT DOES GET HEAVY TO CARRY SO I ACTUALLY OPT FOR THE GOPRO BLACK HERO 5 OR THE SONY A900.

WHAT HAVE YOUR EXPERIENCES BEEN LIKE TRAVELING AS WOMEN OF COLOUR? 

ASHLEY:

AS AN ETHNICALLY AMBIGUOUS PERSON SOCIETY MAKES A DECISION ABOUT HOW THEY WILL SPEAK TO ME BASED ON WHERE I AM PAIRED WITH ASSUMPTION. IN VIETNAM, I’M REFERRED TO AS “MỸ LAI” ( U.S. MIXED PERSON ). WHEN I AM IN MEXICO, PEOPLE ASSUME I AM MEXICAN, AND SPEAK FLUENT SPANISH THAT I CAN BARELY UNDERSTAND. WHEN IN THE CAYMANS, PEOPLE ASK ME HOW MY FAMILY IS DOING BECAUSE THEY ASSUME I AM OF THE “BODDEN” SURNAME. IN HAWAII, I FEEL TRULY AT HOME. IT HAS BEEN THE ONLY PLACE WHERE NO ONE ASKS WHAT MY ETHNICITY IS OR MADE AN ISSUE OF IT.

OVERALL I HAVE NOTICED PEOPLE HAVING ISSUES WITH MY NATIONALITY VERSUS MY ETHNICITY WHEN ABROAD. BEING AMERICAN HAS BROUGHT OUTWARD DISGUST AND INSTANT QUESTIONS ABOUT AMERICA’S LEADERSHIP, FOOD INDUSTRY AND MORE ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS.

BRITTNIE:

I’M SO RACIALLY AMBIGUOUS THAT I HAVEN’T RUN INTO ANY ISSUES BASED UPON MY RACE. I’VE HAD MEN IN THE MIDDLE EAST ARGUE ME DOWN THAT I WAS OF MIDDLE EASTERN DECENT (I’M NOT), I’VE HAD HOTEL STAFF IN THAILAND TELL ME THAT I LOOK LIKE A “THAI LADY” (I DON’T SEE IT), ONE DAY IN ISTANBUL I WAS TOLD I WAS AT LEAST 17 DIFFERENT ETHNICITIES AND I’M REGULARLY SPOKEN TO IN SPANISH BECAUSE PEOPLE ASSUME I’M HISPANIC. I’VE ONLY BEEN IN TWO COUNTRIES WHERE IT SEEMED LIKE THE LOCALS DIDN’T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH ME. THEY WEREN’T SURE WHAT I WAS ETHNICALLY AND I FELT LIKE THEY DIDN’T KNOW HOW TO TREAT ME BECAUSE OF IT, BUT THEY WERE BOTH COUNTRIES WITH A LONG HISTORY OF RACIAL SEGREGATION AND TENSIONS.

I THINK THAT TRAVELING AS A WOMAN IN GENERAL AND ALSO AS AN AMERICAN HAS SHAPED MY EXPERIENCES ABROAD MORE THAN MY SKIN COLOR HAS.

WHY DO YOU THINK IT’S IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE OF COLOUR (AND ESPECIALLY WOMEN) TO TRAVEL, AND FOR PEOPLE TO SEE THEM TRAVEL? 

ASHLEY:

THERE ARE SO MANY PEOPLE WHO ARE LIKE YOU OUTSIDE OF YOUR HOME BASE WHO CAN TEACH YOU ABOUT WHO YOU ARE AND WHERE YOU’RE GOING. TRAVEL HAS ALLOWED ME TO GO FROM FEELING THAT I HAVE BELONGED NOWHERE TO FINDING PIECES OF MYSELF EVERYWHERE. EXPERIENCING DIFFERENT CULTURES WILL ENHANCE YOUR MINDSET, AND MAKE YOU MORE PRESENT WITH PEOPLE, PLACES AND YOURSELF.

AS A WOMAN OF COLOR WHO TRAVELS I FEEL THAT I AM MORALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR POSITIVELY IMPACTING LIVES ALONG THE WAY. BEING ABLE TO TRAVEL IS A PRIVILEGE THAT IS NOT NORMALLY SOMETHING THAT MOST WOMEN OF COLOR STEREOTYPICALLY DO FOR LEISURE. WOMEN WHO LOOK LIKE ME WILL INADVERTENTLY BE ASSOCIATED WITH HOW I HAVE TREATED THE PEOPLE OF THE COUNTRY OR THEIR CUSTOMS IN IT.

BRITTNIE:

I THINK AS WOMEN OF COLOR IN AMERICA OUR SKIN TONES AREN’T ALWAYS CELEBRATED AND APPRECIATED AS THEY ARE ELSEWHERE. THEY LOOOOOOOVEEEE BLACK WOMEN IN ITALY. FOR THE CHOCOLATE GIRLS THAT DON’T ALWAYS FEEL NOTICED OR APPRECIATED AESTHETICALLY – GO TO ITALY YOU WILL BE WORSHIPED. THAT MIGHT READ AS SHALLOW AND SUPERFICIAL, BUT I THINK IT’S IMPORTANT FOR US TO KNOW THAT THERE ARE MANY PLACES ON THE PLANET WHERE WE ARE CELEBRATED.

REPRESENTATION IS IMPORTANT IN ALL ASPECTS OF LIFE. SEEING BLACK WOMEN TRAVEL IS JUST AS IMPORTANT AS SEEING BLACK WOMEN OWN BUSINESSES, BLACK WOMEN ON TV AND MOVIES, BLACK WOMEN BEING DOCTORS, SCIENTIST, PHENOMENAL ATHLETES, ETC., FOR ANYONE WITH DREAMS AND ASPIRATIONS TO DO SOMETHING IT’S VITAL TO BE ABLE TO VISUALIZE YOURSELF DOING IT AND SEEING SOMEONE WHO LOOKS LIKE YOU DO THOSE THINGS MAKES IT EASIER TO BELIEVE YOU CAN.

WHAT SHOULD WE LOOK OUT FOR WITH YOKOCOCO THIS YEAR? 

ASHLEY:

WE HAVE A FEW THINGS ON OUR BUCKET LIST THAT NEED A CHECK-OFF. IN A FEW WEEKS WE ARE DOING A STAY-CATION AND A FEW LOCAL CALIFORNIA ATTRACTIONS. HOPEFULLY WE WILL TAKE ON TWO MORE INTERNATIONAL TRIPS BY THEN YEAR’S END.

BRITTNIE:

MORE ADVENTURES AND SHENANIGANS!! ONE THING I LEARNED VERY QUICKLY TRAVELING IS THAT THINGS RARELY GO AS PLANNED. AS MUCH AS ASH AND I TRY TO PLAN TRIPS OUT, THEY EACH SEEM TO TAKE US ON JOURNEYS WE NEVER EXPECTED. THERE ARE PLACES I’D LIKE TO SEE AND THINGS I’D LIKE TO DO THIS YEAR, BUT I HAVE NO CLUE IF ANY OF THEM WILL HAPPEN OR IF OPPORTUNITIES WE AREN’T EVEN THINKING OF WILL COME OUR WAY. I’M JUST LOOKING FORWARD TO SHARING WHATEVER DOES WITH YALL!!

YOKOCOCO: GET CONNECTED

WE STARTED YOKOCOCO TO BREAK OUT OF WHAT HAD BECOME ORDINARY FOR US. WE CHALLENGED OURSELVES TO ACHIEVE OUR BUCKET LIST OF PLACES TO TRAVEL WHILE HOPING TO INSPIRE WOMEN TO UPLIFT EACH OTHER AND HELP THEM TO DISCOVER WHO THEY ARE ALONG THE WAY.

AND IF THIS ALL FAILS AND NO ONE READS OUR BLOG BESIDES OUR MOMS, AT LEAST WE’LL HAVE SOME INCREDIBLE PICTURES AND CRAZY STORIES TO TELL OUR GRANDKIDS ABOUT THE TIME WE WENT ROGUE AND GRABBED LIFE BY THE COJONES.

YOU CAN FOLLOW YOKOCOCO’S TRAVELS AT WWW.YOKOCOCO.COM AND THEIR VLOG HERE. YOU CAN ALSO FIND THEM ON INSTAGRAM @GOYOKOCOCO HERE AND FACEBOOK HERE.

WANT TO SEE WHAT ASH AND BRIT ARE UP TO WHEN THEY’RE NOT ON YC? CHECK OUT ASHLEY’S INSTA @IMASHNGUYEN HERE AND BRITTNIE’S @BRITTNIENICOLE HERE.

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